1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to near field communication systems, and more particularly, to a near field communication system and a method for controlling transmission power of the near field communication system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Near field communication (NFC) is a set of standards that cover communication protocols and data exchange formats based on existing radio frequency identification (RFID) standards for Smartphones, tablet computers, and other similar devices. In one example, Smartphones utilize NFC to communicate with one another when the Smartphones are placed in close proximity to one another (e.g. up to a few centimeters apart from one another). NFC may be used, for example, for contactless payments, transactions, and/or other data exchange applications.
Near field communications may be established between an NFC reader and an NFC target device (such as an NFC tag). The NFC reader may be used to transmit an NFC signal that is received by the NFC target device. In some instances, the NFC reader has a fixed transmission power, which is often high enough to establish NFC connections under most circumstances. The fixed transmission power is often sufficient to establish communications at distance of a few centimeters or higher. This high transmission power is typically more than what is needed to sustain near field communications between NFC readers and NFC target devices. The high transmission power also allows NFC signals to be transmitted over a further distance. As such, the near field communications may be susceptible to eavesdropping by third parties. Thus, there is a need in the art for a NFC system and method for controlling transmission power of the NFC system.